The Virtual Library:
Charter Schools

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The California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC) is the dominant umbrella organization representing charter schools and their leaders in the state. They offer a networking directory, extensive member services, as well as a list of the more than 400 charter schools in California.

In the Virtual Classroom: As the charter movement in California grows, so does the potential for abuse. While government struggles to refine legislation and close loopholes, charter school advocates worry that too much regulation will stand in the way of innovation. This in-depth article covers both sides of the debate and focuses especially on the home schoolers who account for one-third of California's charter students.

Charter Schools' Ripple Effect. This short article from Investors Business Daily explains the "wake-up call" that public school systems are receiving. According to Anna Bray Duff, even the comparitively small number of existing charter schools is creating a "ripple effect," forcing traditional public schools to clean up their acts.

About Charter Schools. Just about everything you need to know about charter schools from the people who love them best at the Center for Educational Reform. This site includes definitions, state by state laws and legislation and statistics.

Oakland Doubles Number of its Charter Schools: If you're feeling ambivalent about charter schools, you're not alone. Although they approved petitions for six new charters in April 1999, Oakland school board members were less than enthusiastic for a variety of reasons. The vote comes in the wake of renewed political support for educational innovation and deep concerns about the performance of Oakland's traditional public schools.

Criteria for Approval of Charter Petitions: Choosing a charter school for your child? Or how about starting one yourself? In this policy advisory addressed to school boards, the California School Boards Association recommends a method for evaluating proposed charter schools. The article details Assembly Bill 544, which took effect January 1 and introduced several changes that should significantly increase the number of charters in California. This is a must-read for anyone developing their own charter school proposal, and parents will find advice that applies to their own school search.

Give Kids a Choice: Share in Paul T. Hill's bold vision of a day when charter schools are the norm and not the exception. The new system will succeed, he argues, because competition for students leads to the closure of schools that do not perform well. Not so for the traditional public school structure which he characterizes as rigid and self-perpetuating, controlled by those who fear innovation and who fail to act upon the fact that different children learn best in different ways. Hill points out that for competition to work, school systems must offer a variety of schools with distinct and clearly defined visions. He also suggests solutions to some of the problems we face in the midst of this difficult transition.